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Clear Airport and Stadium Security.
I’ve had Clear for the past 2 years, you know when I was actually traveling, and I absolutely loved it. I carry an Amex Green and get a $100 per year Clear credit which offsets the $119/year fee Delta SkyMiles members pay, and it’s unequivocally worth $19. I have actually made it onto flights because of how much faster it makes the security process.
Since I enrolled in Clear, it has been added to Sports Stadiums around the country. Obviously, Sports Stadiums aren’t exactly bumping right now, but hopefully in the next year things will begin to normalize. Clear is offering a Clear Stadium Security membership free of charge. Obviously, if no one is going to Stadiums this doesn’t matter, but it’s something to keep in mind when things hopefully normalize.
2 Free months of membership with Clear Airport Security
We just finished a 6 month free trial promo, and we’ve seen it as high as 12 months in the past, but there is almost always a Free 2 Month trial going. You can go to this link whenever you’re ready to give it a go. Who knows what 2021 has on the horizon for travel, but my money is I fly more this year than I did last year…which was one time last January before the pandemic hit. I miss you travel, I miss you so much.
How does the Clear sign up process work?
Step 1 – Sign up online
First you need to sign up…you can get your free 2 months here. You can sign up at the airport too, unsure about the 2 free months there, tho…
Step 2 – Get Verified at the airport – you’ll find a few of these machines
You must register at the one of these stations. I had trouble getting my license to scan in and will have to return at a later date with my passport to finish my profile. Normally you’d just need your license or passport and they would scan it along with your fingerprints and a retinal scan. Then once you come back the next time, you’d quickly move through the line with either or those two scans to verify you. I saw multiple people fly thought the process.
Step 3 – Cut in front of everyone
Once you’re “cleared” you basically cut in front of the TSA or in my case TSA Pre line. Effectively I was expediting, expedited security with all the same TSA Pre benefits. Shoes on, laptop in bag, etc. If you don’t have Pre it would work the same way, but you’d have to go through normal TSA experience.
I regularly need to be “manually verified” which basically meant a Clear Rep needed to check my boarding pass and ID and then escort me to TSA Pre and cut me in front of everyone waiting. It takes all of 10 seconds.
Where can you use Clear? It’s not just at Airports, as I mentioned it’s at Stadiums too.
It’s growing and growing. I personally used it most at LAX Terminal 4. But, here’s the thing…Clear is now available at various stadiums throughout the country. If you have season tickets to the Lakers…it may be worthwhile getting Clear just to make security easier for the games. Go here for more information
- Atlanta
- Austin ( 2 Locations )
- Baltimore ( 2 Locations )
- Boston
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland ( 2 locations )
- Dallas ( 3 Locations )
- Denver ( 2 Locations )
- Detroit ( 2 Locations )
- Fort Lauderdale
- Houston ( 2 Locations )
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles ( 3 Locations )
- Miami ( 2 Locations )
- Minneapolis ( 2 Locations )
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York ( 6 Locations )
- Newark
- Orlando
- Phoenix
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Francisco ( 3 Locations )
- San Jose ( 2 Locations )
- Seattle ( 3 Locations )
- St Louis
- Washington D.C. ( 3 Locations )
How do I get it discounted?
I love it – I want to get it for $119, not $15 a month or $179 a year. How do I do it. Tell me, tell me.
Delta members get a big discount. Diamonds get it completely free, but basic members get it almost half off.
- $109 is avail to Amex Delta Gold, Platinum, Reserve basic members, not additional cardmembers. Both Biz and Personal versions.
- $119 is avail to ALL general members
It’s also reduced for United members
- Any MilesPlus Member gets is for $119
- Premier Platinum/Gold/Silver and US Credit Cardmembers get it for $109
- Premier 1k get it Free
Don’t forget that Marriott Titanium and Ambassador get matched to United Premier Silver
Amex Platinum and Business Platinum
Each of these cards get a $179 annual statement credit
American Express Green
Amex Green has a yearly $100 Clear credit. It’s a big reason why I keep the card. It knocks the $119 fee I would normally pay down to just $19. No brainer.
Is it worth it?
It has been for me, but then again I get it for just $19, and in the past have flown a ton. If you’re constantly getting stuck in a log jam, it will save you time. If you’re flying at off peak times…maybe not. If you have season tickets it could make your life much easier even if you don’t fly, but attend a lot of sporting events. My Amex Green gives me a $100 annual Clear credit which offsets the majority of the $150 fee and is a big reason, along with referrals, as to why I keep Amex Green in my wallet.
Undecided? You can give it a go for free 2 months.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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